The Trappings of Office
by LinZE
Summary: Set after Takeover and Sacrificed to the Sword and based at Hogwarts during Book 7. The staff continue to do their best to protect their students and each other while Severus manipulates people, perceptions and situations all around them. MM,SS,PP,PS,FF
1. Chapter 1

**THE TRAPPINGS OF OFFICE**

**Disclaimer: **Any body, thing or place you recognise does not belong to me but to J K Rowling and I make nothing from my use out of them except a strange satisfaction.

**Summary: **Set after Takeover and Sacrificed to the Sword and based at Hogwarts during Book 7. The staff continue to do their best to protect their students and each other while Severus manipulates people, perceptions and situations all around them. MM, SS, PP, PS & FF

**PART 1.**

Poppy watched as the Deputy Head pushed the majority of her dinner absently around her plate totally engrossed in the papers she was marking and apparently entirely unaware of the rest of the halls inhabitants and her friend's observations. The mediwitch didn't comment on the other woman's lack of appetite however, or even that she was barely eating enough to sustain a small bird. Instead she content herself with watching, knowing that to say anything would only rile her friend and likely bring the further attentions of the Headmaster.

Ever since the night when she had confronted Minerva in her own rooms, Snape had seemed to be watching his Deputy, and in turn everyone who interacted with her, even more closely. It was almost the end of term now however, and while that was, as always, a relief there were a series of additional concerns that came into play with the start of the holidays.

Every time the students left the grounds they were exposed to a new onslaught of dangers to which Poppy, or any other member of staff, had very little hope of protecting them from. For once though, it wasn't a students welfare over the break that concerned her most. Without the need for her to teach classes, there was no real incentive, at least that she could see, for Snape continuing to stay his hand with Minerva.

Poppy had no real knowledge of what it was that he was doing to her behind the closed doors of his office but what she did have was the evidence of her own eyes and what her well honed intuition was telling her. Since October, Pomona, Filius and herself had done the best they could to prevent Minerva having to be alone with the Headmaster. Despite their best efforts however, he often called her up to his office late in the evening with the most flimsy of excuses and it made her more than a little uncomfortable.

On more than one occasion Poppy had tried to get Minerva to confide in her regarding what it was that happened during those hours and the more she heard a terse _'Nothing.' _the less she was inclined to believe it. There were never any physical signs of violence, but there was a change in the way in which her friend carried herself the following mornings that the Gryffindor simply couldn't cover. Even more telling than that however, was the change in Minerva's overall demeanour.

It was not that the other woman had suddenly become entirely submissive, far from it. The Head of Gryffindor still stepped in to protect her students but there seemed to be a new and mostly unspoken language between the Headmaster and his Deputy. Snape seemed to be able to get Minerva to back down with a single look sometimes and every time Poppy witnessed this level of control it chilled her to the bone.

Dwelling on thoughts like this had a habit of drawing Poppy into the darker side of her own mind, but in this instance the heavy scrape of the Head's chair being pushed back from the table, drew her back to reality before that could happen.

"Ensure you aren't too late in bringing those tables of predicted grades to my office this evening," Snape drawled, looking down towards Minerva, "there's something else I would like to _discuss_ afterwards." He turned to go, but catching Poppy's eye he paused. "Your presence will also be required outside the castle tomorrow night, Professor McGonagall." Only when Minerva protested did he turn back to look at her. "I am aware that the students are leaving tomorrow and I assure you that the Hogwarts Express will still run to time without you overseeing it from the station. Our presence has been required at an _informal_ Ministry party and I'm sure you wouldn't want to anger our host?" He left an ominous silence, as though challenging her to contradict him. "There will be a suitable garment waiting for you when your classes finish at lunchtime tomorrow." And with that, he swept from the room.

There was the typical moment of still before the student body seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief. Poppy watched as they began to talk anew, seeming to feel freed despite the fact the Carrows were still in the room. Looking to her left again, she saw Minerva gathering her papers up and pushing back her seat. Their eyes met as she began to walk along the table to the exit, and she opened her mouth to say something but the other woman got their first.

"Don't Poppy, please, just… don't." It wasn't the words that cut Poppy as much as the tone and the look of exhausted resignation in her friends features. By the time that she pulled herself together, the Transfiguration Mistress had moved on, leaving the mediwitch feeling a barrage of emotions.

The last thing that Poppy had ever wanted was to cause Minerva more stress, to make her feel that she couldn't rely upon her to help, or even just to speak to – no matter what the situation. But in the course of trying to help her friend she seemed to have managed only to alienate her. Still tied up in her self-contemplation, she was a little startled when Pomona appeared in front of her.

"I was wondering if you would like me to drop by later… join you for a cup of hot chocolate?" the other woman asked with a smile. Poppy was on the cusp of snapping at the other woman when suddenly she was struck by the genuine compassion of the offer.

"I would like that very much," she said, feeling some of the tension that had been building, ease off. "I'll let Filius know and he can bring he biscuits." She added, smiling.

It was after twelve when Poppy saw her guests out of the hospital wing, feeling much more like herself than she had earlier in the evening. They had talked but more than that they had laughed, and it was with a pang she realised that it was the kind of comfort that this brought which she felt Minerva was missing out on. She was isolating herself from them, for whatever reason, and the mediwitch was certain that it wasn't helping her.

With a sigh, she once again pushed these thoughts to the side as after all, as Filius had said earlier, they would be of no use to man nor beast if they allowed themselves to be drawn into morbid depression. The Head of Ravenclaw had promised them that he would put a trigger on Minerva's chamber doors so that he knew when she returned. There was little else they could do in the mean time, but there had been a collective concern at Snape's proclamation that he would be taking her out of the castle and into what they could only assume would be dubious company.

On her way back to her rooms, she stopped to make one last round of her charges and paused at the foot of their beds just watching them sleep. The 2nd year Gryffindor and 4th year Hufflepuff were both tucked up tightly, and both would be well enough to go home the next day but neither had come to her with any one of what before this year would have been classifiable as normal ailments. Making sure that the two beds monitoring charms were connected to her alert bracelet she withdrew quietly and left them to their dreams.

Being a mediwitch, especially in a situation like the one at the school where she could be, and was, called on at any hour of the day and night, was greatly facilitated by a talent for grabbing sleep when you could and waking quickly. Poppy was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and awake again as soon as she heard Filius' voice.

It took her only a moment to realise that the Ravenclaw was calling her from the fire and her adrenaline was pumping rapidly round her system before he could say anything but his first words were intended to calm her.

"It's alright," he began "everyone's fine."

"What time is it?" she asked as her heart-rate slowed.

"A little after five."

"Ugh."

"Indeed." Filius responded.

"Minerva?" she asked as rational thought caught up with her.

"She's just knocked on my door to ask if I would mind terribly giving her a hand collating the last of the marking statistics. I haven't had a look yet but I'm not surprised she's struggling; she's dead on her feet and judging by the tic underneath her eye her head must be pounding."

"Well I can certainly help with that. Apart from that, is she…" she asked, not continuing as she wasn't sure she really wanted to know.

"She's in one piece." He sighed. "I had better get back, I was just coming through to pull on some clothes."

"Of course, I'll send something with one of the House Elves. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."

"Thank you Poppy. I'll see you at breakfast."

Breakfast was served from seven, and in the intervening hours Poppy accomplished a huge amount, including discharging her two patients. When she arrived in the Great Hall however, there were very few faces at the Staff Table. Helping herself to muesli, she took a moment to watch the goings on at the House tables. Those students who had arrived already seemed to be making the most of the absence of the Carrows and the prospect of the end of term, as there was a general hubbub of excitement rising from the group.

This atmosphere changed when Snape swept through the door, his minions on his heels and she watched as his gaze swept the table and suddenly Poppy was concerned as to why Filius and Minerva hadn't arrived yet and what it was the Headmaster was going to have to say about this. As if on cue, Filius appeared through the main door and a couple of moments later, the Gryffindor appeared at the side entrance. She didn't say anything, but when Minerva caught her eye the other woman she offered her a small smile. It wasn't much, but it reassured Poppy none the less.

"Apologies Headmaster," offered Minerva as she pulled out her own seat. "I do have the re-worked grade listings for you though."

Snape sneered but didn't say anything, and Minerva simply placed the file on the table. Filius sat next to her, when he joined them and the undercurrent to their conversation was certainly that he would fill her in later.

"Headmaster?" Pomona asked from the other side of the table. "May ask what the plans for this evening are now that Minerva is to be unavailable?"

"I am assuming that Professor Flitwick is still intending to travel with the students?" Snape asked, looking at the shorter man with an arched eyebrow.

"If that's what you would like, Headmaster." Filius replied, dipping his head in acquiescence. Snape snorted but simply turned back towards the Head of Hufflepuff.

"In which case, the Professors Carrow and Professor Flitwick will be accompanying the students on the Express and the rest of you will remain here to oversee the remaining end of term tasks."

Poppy wasn't sure what to make of this, sending both the Carrows seemed an odd decision but she understood so little of what had happened at the school over the last few months made sense that she had realised she couldn't spend all off her time second guessing what it was that was going through Severus Snape's mind.

The hospital wing was quiet throughout the day, and Poppy took advantage of this by taking inventory of her stockroom and creating lists of everything she would need to replace over the holidays. She was so caught up in her tasks, the day slipped past until suddenly it was almost time for the students to leave and she realised that at some point in the afternoon it had started snowing heavily.

Pulling on a cloak, Poppy hurried down the stairs to the entrance Hall where the entire student body appeared to be milling around waiting to be called out to the carriages. Filius was just completing a register it seemed and turned to open the main door and leading the group of students outside into the cold. She could see Pomona in deep discussion with some of the younger Ravenclaws, but from her vantage point she could also see a group of third year Gryffindors and Slytherins beginning to face off against one and other. The mediwitch was just about to step in when a familiar voice called out from above.

"Stop that at once!"

The students all turned to look at the Deputy Headmistress, familiar enough with that tone of voice to know that they had better do exactly as instructed. What greeted them however, was not in any way an image that anyone would normally associated with the formidable Professor McGonagall.

Standing at the head of the staircase, with the Headmaster looking if anything, mildly amused, Minerva McGonagall posed a striking figure. She was wearing a full-length black dress, off the shoulder and so cinched at the waist that even with Minerva's increasingly slight figure the mediwitch knew that there must have been a corseting charm worked into the garment. Seemingly unaware, or at least ignoring, the attention she was garnering, she swept up her full skirts just enough to descend the stairs at her usual clipped pace.

"5 points apiece, from Slytherin and Gryfindor." She declared, "and I would like a foot long essay from each of you on the necessity of inter-house co-operation, to be handed in to me on the first day of next term."

"Well said Professor," Snape added as he joined her at the foot of the stairs, drawing up to stand just behind her left shoulder in an almost possessive fashion. "however, we are expected at the Ministry."

Poppy watched as the other woman's entire demeanour changed the moment he spoke; she tensed and then after a moment, her shoulders fell. Snape swept her through the crowd, pausing momentarily at the door to summon his own cloak and a broad fur stole before they disappeared into the night. Filius, standing by the door, caught her eye and in the space of a moment they communicated everything that needed to be said.

**A/N: **I know, it's been forever. Just to let you know that I have finished this installment (which has another 3 parts) so should be updating regularly for now. Hope this finds you all well and you feel like leaving me reviews.

Thanks for reading

xLx


	2. Chapter 2

**THE TRAPPINGS OF OFFICE **

**Disclaimer: **Any body, thing or place you recognise does not belong to me but to J K Rowling and I make nothing from my use out of them except a strange satisfaction.

**Summary: **Set after Takeover and Sacrificed to the Sword and based at Hogwarts during Book 7. The staff continue to do their best to protect their students and each other while Severus manipulates people, perceptions and situations all around them. MM, SS, PP, PS & FF

**PART 2.**

Filius ensured one last time that all of his students were where they were supposed to be before heading towards the hospital wing, via the kitchens for chocolate biscuits of course. He had to admit that he was looking forward to a couple of hours of company and some peace and quiet. The preceding months had been hard on them all, so many different stressors and different responsibilities pulling them in so many different directions it was a wonder that they hadn't all ripped at the seams.

Instead, the disintegration was a little less dramatic in most of them. Minerva was stretched to the point of breaking; she was permanently exhausted, even before Snape began keeping her in his office to the small hours of the morning. She refused to give though, whether it was asking for help with some of her ridiculous workload or even in admitting to any of them what it was that was happening in those late night meetings.

Poppy and Pomona were dealing with the stress in their own way, both trying to mother everyone into an early grave. Though he understood the need to feel like they were able to do something, Merlin knew he had been more than a little over protective of the students himself of late, but this tactic was proving more successful with some than others. Minerva and Poppy's relationship in particular was suffering as the mediwitch wanted to do nothing more than help and the Gryffindor was determined to hang onto her independence and the last vestiges of her pride. And Filius, Filius was just trying to keep them all together.

He didn't know what kind of game it was that Severus was playing, but he did know that whatever happened they had a much better chance of surviving, of protecting the children in their care if they were working together.

The two women were already ensconced by the fire in Poppy's office, just off the main ward, when he arrived, three steaming mugs of hot chocolate waiting on the table.

"I come bearing gifts," he declared jovially. "the best the House Elves had to offer."

"Thank you." Poppy said with a smile, taking the plate from him and clearing a space for it. "How are you faring this evening?" she asked.

"I'm quite well, thank you for asking. And yourself?"

"Better than some." Poppy said with a quiet smile.

"I spoke to Minerva a little while ago. She's… not looking forward to tomorrow and she's concerned." Pomona chimed in, reaching forward to snag her mug and a chocolate bourbon.

"That's hardly a surprise." Filius pointed out. Minerva had spoken to him weeks ago about getting the students back to Kings Cross and safely to their parents. "But, we do know that when it comes down to it though, Minerva can handle herself."

"I just…"

"I know." Filius cut in. "But all we can do is be there for when she does ask or when she can't help herself." He said firmly. "I have done a little work already. I'll know when she comes back in tonight and I'll get at least an impression of her condition." It hadn't been easy working that kind of charm work without it being suspicious but he believed he had pulled it off well enough, and the burden it eased on his own mind, never mind his friends' was well worth the effort.

Their conversation moved on, touching on a number of subjects, the majority of which were a good deal lighter than where they set out. If nothing else, the three of them were probably closer now than they had ever been and the Charms instructor had to admit that he was in better spirits than when he arrived.

By the time Filius reached his own quarters, his eyelids were heavy and he was yawning repeatedly, so he was more than grateful to change into his nightshirt and retire for the night. He woke suddenly and was aware that there was a reason for it, but it took him a moment to realise what that reason was. The small statue of a Grecian goddess on his bedside table was glowing softly. She was back in her quarters and it was only, he checked the time, quarter to three.

Reaching out, he brushed his hand against the bronze and was suddenly aware of a flood of external stimuli. He could feel cold stone slabs beneath tired feet, muscles pulling all across his back and shoulders and an overwhelming weight of… he couldn't even articulate what the emotions were that he felt. And just as quickly as it washed over him, they were gone and he pulled back his hand taking a moment to gather himself.

The charm work he had used was a little intrusive but it was really only a brush of magic, just enough to allow him to know that she wasn't injured and in need of help. He didn't have to try terribly hard to justify it to himself though, and he certainly felt more at ease knowing that she wasn't in immediate danger.

It took much longer for him to fall asleep the second time around but he must have slipped under Morpheus' spell as he was woken again abruptly but this time by the voice of a portrait.

"I am sorry to wake you." It began.

"What time is it?" he asked, groggily.

"Ten minutes to five. The Deputy Headmistress expressly asked me to apologise for disturbing you but that she would be most appreciative if you would possibly be willing to admit her entrance."

Filius had to think a moment before his brain processed this statement but as he did, he sprang upright and wiped his eyes clear.

"Of course, tell her I'll be right there." And with that he sprung out of bed across the room, scooted through the living room and opened the door.

"Minerva?" he asked, looking at her for just a moment before stepping back and gesturing for her to enter.

If she had looked tired at dinner, she looked positively ragged now and he had a sneaking suspicion that the only thing holding her upright was the doorframe.

"I'm so sorry to wake you…" She apologised again as she pushed herself upright.

"Never mind that." He bustled, guiding her straight towards the settee. "What is it that you wanted?"

"I…" she began, looking down at the sheaf of papers in her hands. "I can't get the last of the marking statistics to tally… they just… I've tried doing it by hand… I don't know whether I've knocked the charms out of sync or… but it just won't work and I said I'd have them ready for the morning and I thought maybe…"

"Of course I'll have a look. You just sit there a minute," Filius interrupted, his mind running ten to the dozen. "I'm going to go make myself descent and then I'll be right back and we can take another look at them together." he tried to soothe, but when she looked up at him and despite the grateful relief he could see there, it was in the shadow of pain and exhaustion. "I shan't be a moment." He called as he hurried away, "Make yourself comfortable."

He knew before the door was closed that he needed to speak to Poppy, for his own sake as much as Minerva's. It wasn't until he had woken the mediwitch that he realised that she would be alarmed at being woken in the middle of the night. True to form though, Poppy was rational and practical and just telling her what had happened allowed Filius to pull his thoughts together.

By the time he was dressed, one of the house elves assigned to the hospital wing had arrived with a vial of something that certainly wasn't an base level pain reliever. As soon as he opened the door back into his sitting room however, something struck him as peculiar. It only took a moment to realise what was wrong though, and as soon as he rounded the couch his suspicions were confirmed. With a smile, Filius placed the potion vile down on the table and with a flick of his hand, elongated the settee so that Minerva's form, slumped across the arm stretched out into what he hoped to be a more comfortable position.

As it turned out, the problem Minerva had had with collating the terms grades into the master chart she had created was not of her own making, it also didn't take him long to figure out what it was. Within a few minutes he had spotted that the information provided by Alecto and Amycus Carrow was not tabulated using the same charm work as the rest of the teaching staff. Filius could only guess, but he suspected that Minerva had never even noticed. Looking over his shoulder, he watched her for a moment or two. Lying there curled up beneath the blanket she reminded him of the woman he remembered from when he had started teaching; younger, more innocent but still exhausted.

Filius set to work and managed to correct the problem relatively quickly and once he had double-checked that Minerva's database could sort the information in the multitude of different ways it was supposed to (including, by year, house, subject and student), he neatly stacked her papers and moved onto his own work. Only when he heard Minerva shift behind him did he look up and check the time.

Hopping off his seat, he crossed over to the couch and brushed the loose hair out of his friend's face, before lowering his hand to her shoulder and squeezing lightly.

"Minerva?" he asked quietly.

"Wh…?" she began as her eyes opened, "What time is it?"

"6.30" Filius replied, helping her sit upright.

"You should have woken me." She closed her eyes closed and pushed her thumb and forefinger into the sockets

"Take this, it'll help with the headache." He said, sidestepping the issue, and offering up the draft.

He held her gaze as she looked between him and the vial, this was not the apologetic Minerva of the night before, instead it was the determined Deputy Headmistress. After a moment, she reached out and took the potion and downed it swiftly.

"Poppy?" she asked, swallowing with a distasteful look on her face.

"Yes, I spoke to her just after you arrived." Filius offered tentatively.

"It's almost breakfast… I wish you hadn't let me sleep."

"You barely slept for an hour and a half Minerva and you obviously needed it, besides, I've fixed the problem with the results tables and you still have time to go back to your room, shower and change and get to breakfast on time."

Minerva looked at him and for a moment Filius felt like a student who had dared to talk back to the infamous Professor McGonagall.

"Thank you." She said eventually, letting her gaze drop. "For your help, your sofa and the potion."

"My pleasure." He responded with a nod, a smile quirking his lips. Minerva returned the gesture, smiling as she twisted her hair up into some semblance of order.

"And so it begins again." She said, pushing herself upright. "Thank you again for your help and I suppose I'll see you at breakfast."

"Minerva…" he called out, as she turned and began to cross the room at her typically clipped place. He wanted to tell her that she should go to bed, that he would take care of today and deflect Snape if only until she had had the chance to regroup and recharge. He didn't though.

Minerva seemed to sense what it was that he wasn't saying, and offered him a tight-lipped smile before turning silently and leaving the room.

He shouldn't really have been surprised that his day continued in a less than auspicious fashion after the way in which it had begun, but by lunchtime he was eternally grateful that classes were over and all that remained was for him to ensure that all of his students managed to pack up their possessions before they needed to leave to catch the train.

At some stage while Filius was in the Ravenclaw common room providing shrinking charms and generally trying to prevent World War III breaking out, it began to snow. Once he had ensured that all his students had winter cloaks out, he left them and headed up to the staff room for a cup of tea and the chance to sort through his registers before the masses gathered in the entrance hall.

When Filius and Pomona arrived, the majority of the student body was already in the entrance hall with their luggage in anticipation of taking the short trip to the train station. For all that the students usual enthusiasm had been dampened by the events and circumstances of late, they certainly seemed buoyed at the prospect of the holidays and time spent at home.

"No sign of the Carrows." Pomona commented, glancing around the jostling crowd.

"I suspect this will go better without them," Filius, pointed out, "so let's just hope we get done before they decide to join us."

Casting a gentle levitation charm, he raised himself to just above head height and using a soft sonorus, spoke loudly enough to catch the students attention.

"If I could have your attention please," he requested with moderate success, "thank you. Now, as the weather has closed in on us, we are going to proceed slightly differently than usual. I'm going to call you forward year group by year group, and once you've all been checked off then you'll be sent on to the station.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you that you will all be expected to behave and abide by the school rules until you have been passed on to your relatives. I will be travelling with you along with Professor Carrow and Professor Carrow and needless to say, anyone not doing so will be dealt with seriously." he left that comment to hang for a moment before calling forward the Seventh Years.

The oldest students were, for the most part co-operating, and he was ushering them out to where the horseless carriages were waiting when he heard the noise behind him disappear at the sound of a familiar, chastising voice. Turning back in the doorway he was more than a little taken-a-back at the sight before him.

Minerva was standing at the head of the staircase, Snape by her side, looking like… certainly not like he'd ever seen her look before. It was at once massively disconcerting and strangely… well now was not the time to dwell on that. He forcefully redirected his thoughts as his colleague swooped down on the students who had obviously been about to start some form of conflict.

"5 points apiece, from Slytherin and Gryfindor." She declared, "and I would like a foot long essay from each of you on the necessity of inter-house co-operation, to be handed in to me on the first day of next term."

The students in question all looked to be suitably chastised, or at least were shocked enough to just nod in response to her decree. Filius watched as Snape followed her down the steps at a much more sedate pace, before placing an ominously possessive arm around her surprisingly fragile figure.

"Well said Professor, however we are expected at the Ministry." He drawled, ushering her through the crowds with a hand just inches from the small of her back. It was, Filius realised, an uncomfortable parody of the way in which Albus had treated his deputy.

As they passed where he stood by the open door, Minerva's eyes were firmly fixed ahead of her, her confident step seemingly undeterred by the strikingly high heels he had noticed when she lifted her skirts. He couldn't be sure that she was avoiding catching his eye anymore than she was her students but he felt a shiver run down his spine as his gaze followed the impressive pair down the steps outside and past the group of students, down the path and towards the gates.

The sound came in a rush, starting at the far end of the hall and swelling as it rolled towards him. Turning back into the interior of the castle, Filius' caught Poppy's eye across the hall and held her gaze a moment as they attempted to reassure each other that neither was alone in their concern, even if for the time being they were helpless. The clock in the tower chimed the quarter hour and Filius looked away, realising that if there was any hope of the Hogwarts Express leaving on time that they really needed to get a move on.

Just as he was hoping that the Carrows had decided not to bother joining them after all, Merlin knew he didn't expect them to be of any use in a crisis even if they did up, Filius spotted them standing on the platform of the station as he disembarked from the last of the carriages. They seemed content however, to simply ignore him and most of the students alike as they climbed aboard and emptied a compartment for themselves.

After checking the platform one last time for stray bodies, Filius walked from one end of the train to the other, counting heads and reassuring himself so that he could in turn reassure Minerva when she asked, that every last one of their students had been returned safely to London and delivered safely to their guardians. By this time the train had begun to gather speed and was fairly dashing through the snow so, finding a compartment with a rather quiet group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs he settled in for what he hoped would be a quiet journey.

Given how disturbed his previous nights sleep had been, never mind anything else, it was little wonder that he slipped into a light slumber not long after he had sat down. It was a natural reaction from decades of duelling experience that meant that as soon as he woke, Filius had not only established a very basic idea of what was going on around him but also begun casting a shielding charm. The train had slowed down to almost a stop and from what he could see through the dark windows they were still in the middle of the countryside.

He extended his shielding charm to it's greatest extend, covering the whole of the train with a less impassable defence but at least giving him an awareness of what was going on around the periphery of his defence. There were people trying to break into the train and then suddenly the lights went out and he was vaguely aware as the commotion spread through the student body. Sounds of fighting from within the compartments spilled out in the central corridor, but all the while, Filius' concentration was focussed on what was going on outside.

Conjuring a patronus was the work of a moment but when he tried to send it on it's way it was blocked by someone else's magic. In the moment he turned a fraction more of his attention towards sending his swan to the Order though, a flash of light hit him from the side and he, and the train itself seemed to be lifted into the air. He seemed to be sailing for an eternity bit as quickly as it had started, it stopped and Filius was aware of an instant of blinding pain before a deeper, more complete darkness took him.

**A/N: **Told you I'd update soon ;) Let me know whether you're enjoying it.

Thanks for reading,

xLx


	3. Chapter 3

**THE TRAPPINGS OF OFFICE **

**Disclaimer: **Any body, thing or place you recognise does not belong to me but to J K Rowling and I make nothing from my use out of them except a strange satisfaction.

**Summary: **Set after Takeover and Sacrificed to the Sword and based at Hogwarts during Book 7. The staff continue to do their best to protect their students and each other while Severus manipulates people, perceptions and situations all around them. MM, SS, PP, PS & FF

**PART 3.**

Minerva looked at herself in the mirror with the kind of detachment it had taken her months to cultivate. She had never been particularly prone to vanity, but neatness, cleanliness and being appropriately attired were things that she did care about and there was certainly nothing appropriate about what she was currently wearing. She would have sighed if the she hadn't been quite so constrained by black silk interwoven with corseting charms that despite her best efforts she had not been able to loosen.

Promising herself a well deserved dram should she manage not to develop any more immediate problems than such a slight hindrance to her breathing over the next eight hours she sat up straighter and attempted to muster the motivation to apply some make-up and do something with her hair. Constantly tired now, even the Gryffindor had to admit that she had certainly looked better. It took a judicious application of concealer and blusher to make her look anything better than horrific in such a stark ensemble.

In addition to not being able to adjust the measurements of the dresses' waist, Minerva had singularly failed in lifting the hem and so, as she glanced around her rooms one last time to ensure she had everything she might possible need in her clutch bag, she had little choice but to slip on the outrageous sling backs that had been provided.

Refusing to stop and give herself the cursory once over in the full length mirror by her bedroom door, she left her rooms, her head held high and pace quick. Thankfully the halls were deserted as the students were already gathered in the Entrance Hall and so there was no one to see her pause in front of the Gargoyle.

Steeling herself, she provided the password and rode the spiral staircase up to the Headmaster's office. This room which had once filled her with a warm recollection of pleasant evenings and well meant frustration, now set her on edge. She had ceased to be able to predict what would meet her when she entered, how the Headmaster would behave and what would be expected of her in return. Despite this unpredictability however, there were still certain lines which had yet to be crossed. That night when she had placed herself so directly at Snape's mercy in order to try and protect her students, she had thought she had known what she was getting herself into. Yet the fact that he had never taken advantage of that set her more on edge than ever.

That first night he had left her kneeling there, unable to move or to see as he walked around the room seeming to observe her and ignore her at intervals but never once actually interacting with her until the early hours of the morning when he had lifted the constraints, helped her to her roughly to her feet and dismissed her abruptly. On other occasions he had had her stand for hours, unable to hear anything while he lurked at the edge of her peripheral vision, looming behind her but never coming close enough to actually come into contact.

She knew that it was all in an attempt to unnerve her, to set her on edge and to slowly but surely break her will. What unnerved her more than anything however was how successful it was proving. She had already been exhausted yesterday, she had been drawing on her reserves for so long that she knew they must be none existent and she certainly didn't need Poppy to point out how thinly she was spreading herself.

More than the lack of sleep and the constant concern for her students was wearing her down however, the fact that her colleagues seemed convinced that something far more sinister than what was actually happened occurred when the Headmaster called her to his rooms late at night was making everything much more stressful. Explaining that there was nothing for them to be concerned about, which was true as the only damage that was being done was because she couldn't raise herself above Snape's petty games, had done nothing to ally their overbearing concern for a moment and though she could appreciate the fact that it all must seem even stranger from the outside than it was for her, it didn't quell her frustration at their well-meant meddling.

Suppressing all thoughts and feelings that she deemed would be unhelpful in the coming hours, Minerva straightened her shoulders and knocked on the door before her.

"Ah Professor," Snape greeted her as the door swung open and she stepped inside, "as punctual as ever and looking… almost passable." His sneer was nothing more than she expected.

"You ought to approve, you chose it." she replied dryly.

"Indeed." The Headmaster intoned, equally flatly though with a hint of a long familiar amusement. Coming out from behind his desk, he began to prowl around her in a wide ark reminding her unpleasantly of a stable owner assessing a new filly. "Well I'm sure with a few adjustments we can ensure that you don't embarrass the school."

For a single moment Minerva felt hope swell inside her that Severus had realised that given the fit of her current attire, quite how inappropriate she would look at any official function. Realism soon dashed this however, and so she once more guarded herself against what was to come.

"Bend forward." he instructed and she did, bracing her arms on the back of the chair before her and stiffening as she felt him approach from behind. Idly, she noted that this was quite possibly the most risqué situation the Slytherin had placed her in yet.

At first she didn't realise what it was he was doing, slowly but surely though the corseting tightened further until she could no longer help the audible exhalation of air being forcibly pushed from her lungs. Her ribs ached, constrained unnaturally and her breathing hitched as she tried to become accustomed to the situation.

"There." Snape declared after an indeterminable time. "Now let me see you stand."

Standing upright resulted in an unnatural head rush that took a moment to pass, and as it did she could feel her cheeks flush. She had no idea what she must look like now, all she did know was how glad she was not been born in an era where these kinds of charms were the norm.

"Much more satisfactory. I do enjoy a waist a can wrap my hands around." he added with another unnervingly appraising look. It was gone in a moment though, replaced by that all business façade that was his common expression. "Now Professor, some ground rules for this evening. There are going to be a number of very important individuals at tonight's gathering and you will be expected to represent Hogwarts in the best possible light."

"Of course."

"You will address me as Headmaster, Professor, and would do well to remember that I will be aware of your every move. Should anything you say or do not be conducive to the proliferation of the schools and my own good name, measures will have to be taken in order to insure you will not be so fool hardy again in the future. You might also like to note that I would be more than willing to wait until the start of next term in order to meet out any punishment necessary."

Minerva could read between the lines well enough, any discretion on her part the students would likely take the punishment for.

"Of course, Headmaster." she replied deliberately.

"Good - now drink this." he instructed holding a vial out towards her. Minerva eyed it warily, her instincts screaming that she didn't want to take anything from him, but intellectually she knew that this was something that it probably wasn't going to be worth staging a major revolt over.

"What is it." she asked bluntly.

"It's a little something to insure that I have the pleasure of your human company this evening. It will inhibit any form of self transfiguration including that of the animagus."

It was a talent that had served her well in the past, more than once helping her out of sticky situations but she also knew that an opponent of any worth would rob her of it quickly enough. On the other hand he might easily have been lying about the potions purpose but he had no real reason to suspect that other than a general unwillingness to trust him as far as she could throw him. But there were easier ways for him to kill her than that and he would no doubt make sure that she drank it whether she wanted to or not. With the hope that she was not going to require any quick getaways that evening, Minerva took the potion swiftly, and refused to give the satisfaction of reacting at its unpleasant aftertaste.

There was no way, she realised as Severus guided her deftly from his office that they were going to be able to leave the castle without something of a stir. She had held some small hope that they would be flooing to the Ministry, a solution that would have made eminently more sense to her than walking to the edge of the castle grounds in order to apparate, but she also realised that this was another ploy in the Headmasters plans. Not only was she to look like a harlot in front of every high ranking and influential witch and wizard at the Ministry but also before her own students and colleagues. She was to be paraded as a trapping of his office. Well there was nothing to be done but hope that her formidable reputation saw her through and that none of her charges were too horribly traumatised by seeing her in such a fashion.

The level of noise coming from the gathered student body was not nearly as raucous as it might have been, and Minerva had paused at the top of the last flight of stairs for a moment to watch them below. That unnerving feeling regarding their upcoming trip returned and she was once more anxious not to be able to travel with them and see them all safely home. Years of teaching had honed her instincts to trouble though and it was exactly those that drew her attention to the spot where groups of Slytherins and Gryffindors were posturing overtly. She could feel the tension between the two groups rising rand instinctively acted to intervene before she even thought about it.

"Stop that at once!" she instructed, hitching her skirts enough to let her descend the stairs at a more normal pace without breaking her neck in the process. "5 points apiece, from Slytherin and Gryfindor and I would like a foot long essay from each of you on the necessity of inter-house co-operation, to be handed in to me on the first day of next term." she finished, rounding on the students and looking them all in the eye so that they could be in no doubt that she knew who they were and would not forget in a hurry.

"Well said Professor," Snape said appearing once more behind her and startling her by placing a familiar hand on her back. "however, we are expected at the Ministry." he continued, applying enough pressure to indicate that he wanted her to move on.

The students parted before them, the unnatural silence accompanied by inquisitive looks that she had been lucky enough not to notice earlier. She spotted Poppy and Pomona first, then Filius at the door and wanted for all the world to be able to offer them some reassurance but Snape's hand, hovering behind her as they walked and then draping a stole around her shoulders she was sure did nothing to comfort them in the same way that it did nothing to ease her own fears.

The snow had been cleared from the path thankfully or she was certain that her gown would have been ruined and her toes frostbitten before they had made it very far. As it was, she reluctantly had to accept Severus's proffered elbow to help her balance and maintain a somewhat practical pace. Between the brisk walk and the apparation she found herself unusually breathless when they finally arrived outside the Ministry and it was only absently she noted that the snow had yet to make its way this far south.

There were around twenty people in the chamber when they arrived, attendants handing out ornate flutes of goblin wine as they milled around chatting amiably. It was such a pedestrian affair that it wasn't until Minerva actually started to look at the faces of the other guests that she had realised what the term _informal _had really meant. She could identify almost all the guests were quite firmly and openly in allegiance with Voldemort.

Absently, she accepted the glass Snape handed her and followed him as he gently steered her through the room with a hand at her elbow.

"Severus! So glad you could join us," Thickness greeted them loudly. "And you've brought your delectably Deputy with you, a pleasure I'm sure." he mumbled, leaning in to kiss her hand. She dipped her head a little in return, but chose to say nothing.

"I think you'll agree Minister," Severus began, "that it is more important than ever to maintain good links between the Ministry and our school during times like these."

"Of course, of course but tonight is an occasion for celebration and enjoying each others company more than it is about work. Ah Rookwood, good evening."

"Minister, Headmaster." The new arrival greeted the two men but only deigned to give her a long assessing look. "You've brought your pet lioness with you Severus - I do hope you have her suitably under control?"

"Naturally, but you know me Augustus, I like my acquaintances with a little fight left in them. There is eminently more to be said for the more subtle forms of influence than taking a steamroller to their personality. Especially when one watches them from afar for so long, otherwise I could have used polyjuice to achieve the desired effect long ago." The derisory tone was nothing new, the insinuation one that did not shock her, what did take her by surprise however was the extent Severus was perpetuating the impression that she graced his bed every night. After all, if that was what he truly wanted then there was nothing stopping him from having it, she had made that bargain weeks ago.

Dinner was a thoroughly unpleasant affair. Minerva had discovered quickly that there was a very precise angle at which she had to sit in order to minimise the discomfort of the corset. She was also so tightly bound that even if she had been particularly inclined to eat, she doubted she would have managed more than a few mouthfuls of any of the seven courses.

She had been placed opposite Severus who seemed, though he continued to maintain his vaguely condescending air, to have garnered not a little admiration from his fellow guests. By the time they rose at the end of the meal, the rest of the guests were arriving and Minerva was relieved to see at least a few friendly faces amongst the crowds when Rosier, whom she had been successfully avoiding making eye contact with from where he sat next to Severus, stepped into her path.

"Well, well, well Professor." he said, in a tone Minerva assumed was supposed to be predatory.

"Mr Jugson," she greeted him coolly.

"You've made a bit of an effort tonight, 'aint you?" he growled, invading her private space and effectively forcing her around a corner into a quiet corner and trapping her against the wall. "I s'pose the Headmaster likes that, don't he? Likes having you all dressed up… "

"Mr Jugson…." she interjected.

"Yes… I bet you'd be worth the effort…"

"Enough." She declared, with no little force, pushing against his broad chest.

"Oh, not nearly enough yet." Jugson responded, pushing forward with his not inconsiderable weight and somehow managing to manhandle her through a door and into a conveniently placed ante room. "I'm going to have some fun with you Professor, and once I'm done…" he continued.

"You will do nothing of the sort." she snapped, sending a swift stinging hex towards his more tender regions which he swiftly removed from her immediate vicinity.

"I don't know what Snape thinks he's doing, but obviously he aint teaching you manners so maybe I'll just…"

"Hands off what doesn't belong to you, Jugson." Snape drawled, suddenly appearing in the doorway and placing a firm hand on the other man's shoulder.

"I don't know what you see in that stuck-up harpy - but you need to teach her to behave…" the other man was obviously fuming but Snape seemed, if anything mildly amused.

"I think you'll find that Professor McGonagall is the perfect embodiment of poise and manners - aren't you Minerva?" he asked without ever taking his eyes of Jugson.

"Naturally, Headmaster." she replied smoothly, dipping her head demurely and repressing the urge to smile.

"Well then, I don't see a problem." Severus continued. "I suggest you take yourself off to sober up and perhaps indulge in a well placed cooling charm."

For an instant, Minerva thought that Jugson might make the quite obvious error not to take Severus' advice. When he did however, Minerva was flooded with a sudden sense of relief and the kind of camaraderie that she had Severus had often shared in times gone passed.

There was an awkward silence. She almost wanted to thank him, but then again, if it hadn't been for him she certainly would never have been placed in that position in the first place. The conflicting emotions seemed monumentally too much at that moment, the contradictions made her head hurt and in time with her heart beat one word echoed at the back of her mind. _Stockholm. Stockholm. Stockholm. _

Minerva felt the Headmaster stiffen beside her before she realised that one of the Ministry elves had appeared and handed him a missive. She felt the change in his mood instantaneously, the thunderclouds were rolling off him and a thrill of fear overrode anything else.

"We're leaving." he declared turning on his heel and obviously expecting her to follow. She did.

They made no excuses, bypassing anyone who was foolish enough to look like they were about to intercept them, Severus summoning his cloak and her wrap as they made directly for the apparition point.

"Take my arm." he instructed.

"Where…?" his expression cut her off, and she simply did as she was told.

Side-along apparition was never a pleasant experience and as they reappeared, the world dipped unnervingly beneath Minerva's feet as her head swam and heart hammered. By the time she could focus, Severus had already strode off down the snow covered hill. She set off behind him, as her mind suddenly seemed to snap into gear an she realised what it was that she was smelling in the air, what it was that she could see at the bottom of the hill. There were people everywhere, smoke billowing from where the Hogwarts Express was lying half off the tracks, carriages askew. She was running; her skirts hitched up and her speed increasing as she crossed the furrowed field, only to stop when she came close enough to see that the urgency in those around her seemed to have passed.

"Professor," a young Auror greeted her as she glanced about, trying to take it all in. "Headmaster."

"What happened?" Snape asked, arriving at a much more sedate pace behind her.

"There was some form of attack… sir."

"Really?" his tone was dripping with acid.

"Reports are confused, Sir." the young man added hesitantly.

"The students… Where are the students?" Minerva heard herself asking.

"They've all been accounted for, Professor. They've been sent to St Mungo's along with Professor Flitwick…" Somehow this news didn't quell the outright panic coursing through her veins.

"Where are the Carrows?" Snape was demanding.

"They were over there…"

She wasn't listening. Minerva had to make sure that her students were alright. She should have been there, should have been on the train, maybe if she had been there... Running back up the hill, she barely stopped moving as she apparated back to London and into the designated arrivals zone at St Mungos. Searching the crowds of people in the waiting room of St Mungos for a familiar face, she looked desperately for anyone who might be able to tell her what was going on.

"Minerva!" she turned on her heel, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. "Over here!" Poppy called again from the far side of the room. "They contacted me as soon as the alarm was raised - standard procedure."

Minerva nodded absently, glancing around trying to see if she could spot someone who might know what on earth was going on.

"Paul!" Poppy called, turning behind her and gesturing to the head of admissions.

"Poppy, Professor." He greeted them. "I was just looking for you. Filius has been stabilised and we've accounted for all 261 students."

"262." Minerva corrected automatically. "When attendance became mandatory the Ministry predicted that there were 286 students of an age that should be attending Hogwarts. Of those 286, 6 died before the start of term, 12 are thought to have left the country, 1 was too ill to attend and 5 simply did not arrive at Kings Cross. That makes 262 on September 1st. There have been no suspensions or exclusions and there are no students staying in the castle over Christmas and therefore there should have been 262 students on the train. Filius wouldn't have left the station if they hadn't all been accounted for."

She looked up from the floor and straight into the administrators eyes. He double checked the clipboard he was carrying and in the intervening moments of silence the rest of the world seemed to fade into the background and all she could hear was the hammering of her own heart and the myriad of thoughts running through her mind.

"I've only got 261, we'll double check..."

"Let me see the list," Minerva said, almost snatching the board away. Her heart was racing as her eyes darted along the lists. They were in alphabetical order which wasn't going to help this task but a quick wandless gesture and they arranged themselves into year groups. Starting with the first years, she visualised her classroom and ran through both sets of first years - all there.

The second and third years were equally quickly accounted for. Her eyes skipped ahead though, darting back and forth in an attempt to locate her prime suspects for getting in trouble rather than working through the lists methodically. Somewhere inside her frantically racing brain she knew that this wasn't the right way to do this, but even as she was having that thought she felt an instants relief as she noted that Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom were both listed. Someone was missing though... she re-read the same page, double checking, before she flicked through the other sheets to make sure she hadn't just missed it.

"Miss Lovegood." She said. "Uh, Luna Lovegood, 17, slim, blonde, incredibly absent minded..."

"She's probably just wondered off somewhere..." She could hear Poppy say, as though from a distance, "gotten distracted with something here before her name was taken." Paul agreed, but all Minerva could think of was the broken body of that gentle soul lying in the snow somewhere. Thrown clear of the train perhaps, far enough that no one would have seen her? All Minerva knew was that the girl was out there somewhere and that she had to do something.

"I... I've got to..." she tried to put the compulsion into words but struggled to rationally explain the overriding need to go and check for herself. She turned on her heel, her deliberately determined destination the only thing on her mind as she apparated out of the hospital.

Something wasn't right though, the effort it took seemed immeasurably more than usual. Minerva did the only thing she could though and kept pushing through, using every last ounce of strength she could muster, until eventually she reappeared next to the train wreck with a deafening snap.

**A/N: **Many thanks for your reviews! I hope you've enjoyed this installment

xLx


	4. Chapter 4

**THE TRAPPINGS OF OFFICE **

**Disclaimer: **Any body, thing or place you recognise does not belong to me but to J K Rowling and I make nothing from my use out of them except a strange satisfaction.

**Summary: **Set after Takeover and Sacrificed to the Sword and based at Hogwarts during Book 7. The staff continue to do their best to protect their students and each other while Severus manipulates people, perceptions and situations all around them. MM, SS, PP, PS & FF

**PART 4.**

When Severus had been issued with the invitation to the Ministry gathering that evening, it had come with a suggestion that he might like to bring along a particular guest. It was a suggestion it hadn't made sense to refuse, holding comparatively little real risk. He had however, worked his way through as many likely scenarios as he could think of and tried to plan for the worst of them. To this end he had invoked what little protection he could to insure, without it being palpable either to herself or any of the other guests, that Minerva was as safe as possible. He was caught up in thoughts of the tortuous hours to come, and what was due to happen on the Express while he was visibly elsewhere, when Minerva arrived in his office as promptly as ever.

He was momentarily taken aback, though he covered it with a grace born of practice, when she stepped into the room. Despite knowing what it was he had purchased when he had ordered the dress, he had somehow managed to disassociate himself from the actual image of her in the garment. It was... unlike anything he had ever seen her in before. But that had been, at least in part, the purpose. It was revealing and degrading and yet somehow the pale expanse of ivory skin normally hidden from sight was also entirely captivating.

Covering his study in a mask of disdain, he took the opportunity to examine the overall effect.

"Almost passable." He declared after a moment.

"You ought to approve, you chose it." She countered with a defiant air.

"Indeed." He replied, hoping tonight would not be the straw that broke the camel's back, seeing his deputy pushed from reluctant co-operation into overt militancy. Coming out from behind his desk he walked around her slowly determined to unnerve her as best he could while trying to establish how he could take her from wearing a daring but flattering dress into someone who had been entirely objectified. "Well I'm sure with a few adjustments we can ensure that you don't embarrass the school." He murmured moments later. "Bend forward."

Severus could only imagine what some of his fellow Death Eaters would say if they could see them now, the notorious Minerva McGonagall braced against a chair entirely at his mercy as she was now on a regular basis. He didn't like to dwell on what it was that those same men would be doing to her now, or his female acquaintances who might well be urging them on. No, he was certainly the lesser of many evils on that front.

Reaching out, he grasped hold of the corseting charms and began to slowly tighten them as he would the laces on his boots. As he did this, he carefully activated the tethering charm he had woven into the fabric earlier insuring that she would never be further than 20ft away from him without his knowledge. He could see the changes in her posture as her entire back was forced into a longer, straighter posture but only stopped when her breathing became shallow enough to concern him.

"There, now let me see you stand." He drawled, feigning a lecherous anticipation while trying to disregard his basal awareness of the way in which the tightened corset had pushed her bust up and how the drape of the fabric across the neckline and around her shoulders only served to accentuate the curves. "Much more satisfactory. I do enjoy a waist a can wrap my hands around." He left that comment to hang there for a moment, cementing the idea that she was to be no more than a trophy for the evening, a symbol of his own position of power to the rest of the guests, before slipping back into his familiar mask. "Now Professor, some ground rules for this evening. There are going to be a number of very important individuals at tonight's gathering and you will be expected to represent Hogwarts in the best possible light."

"Of course." She replied dryly.

"You will address me as Headmaster, Professor, and would do well to remember that I will be aware of your every move. Should anything you say or do not be conducive to the proliferation of the schools and my own good name, measures will have to be taken in order to insure you will not be so fool hardy again in the future. You might also like to note that I would be more than willing to wait until the start of next term in order to meet out any punishment necessary." There was no further need to elaborate she knew exactly what he meant and Severus could be certain that though she would have shown no hesitation in putting herself in jeopardy she would not risk her students.

"Of course, Headmaster."

Severus picked up the vial he had left sitting on his desk and held it out towards her.

"Good - now drink this." He could almost hear the cogs turning in her head. She would take it with a minimum of fuss - at least he was reasonably sure that she would.

"What is it." she asked bluntly. He considered telling her that that was of no matter to her but knew that there was no point in antagonising her further over this for no real gain.

"It's a little something to insure that I have the pleasure of your human company this evening. It will inhibit any form of self transfiguration including that of the animagus." He had also brewed it with the intention of blocking the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream, but that was beside the point. He watched her contemplate her options before taking the potion from his outstretched hand and downing it in one go. A small portion of him took a deep breath in relief; keeping her sober and in close quarters to him was the best protection he could offer for tonight.

The usual suspects were already present when they arrived at the Ministry but Severus had the looks on the students and staff's face when they had both appeared at the top of the steps to fuel his contemptuous smirk. If he'd had any concerns before then they had been entirely banished upon seeing their reactions. At dinner the conversation was predictably uninspiring but when dealing with a nest of back stabbing vipers, he had long ago learned that it was advisably to keep ones wits about one. Most of his fellow guests were interested primarily in inflating their egos and in making less than subtle insinuations about the advantages of his position at the school and how good a job he had done in brushing up his deputy.

He'd just poured himself a glass of port when he felt the tug on the proximity tether. Looking rapidly about the room he tried to spot where Minerva was, only to see a flutter of fabric in a corridor on the opposite side of the room. Putting down his glass next to an odious floral display on a nearby occasion table, he crossed the room as quickly as he was able without garnering undue attention, checked both ways to make sure he wasn't being observed, and listened at the door for a moment.

"... nothing of the sort." he heard Minerva say sharply, followed by a grunt that indicated that whoever was in there with her was in some considerable discomfort.

"I don't know what Snape thinks he's doing, but obviously he aint teaching you manners so maybe I'll just…" Jugson began, obviously too caught up in the prospect to notice as Severus slipped inside the room.

"Hands off what doesn't belong to you, Jugson." he drawled, placing a firm hand on the other man's shoulder causing him to start at the unexpected interruption.

"I don't know what you see in that stuck-up harpy - but you need to teach her to behave…"

Severus merely cocked an eyebrow. "I think you'll find that Professor McGonagall is the perfect embodiment of poise and manners - aren't you Minerva?" he asked without ever taking his eyes of Jugson.

"Naturally, Headmaster." Minerva replied, the perfect epitome of the demure subordinate. Severus felt a strange surge of nostalgia at the familiar patter they had built over the years.

"Well then, I don't see a problem. I suggest you take yourself off to sober up and perhaps indulge in a well placed cooling charm."

For a moment, he thought that the other man was going to be stupid enough to make Severus do something more serious to maintain his reputation. Merlin knew after the kind of week he had had he would enjoy nothing more than thrashing him but still... As it happened, the opportunity was taken away when Jugson chose to withdraw with less than good grace.

Severus was about to suggest that Minerva would do well to keep herself out of trouble for the rest of the evening as he had better things to do than come to her rescue, but he was caught momentarily by the look in her eye that unnerved him. He was distracted enough by this that he started when the Ministry elf appeared next to him. He took the message with a sense of foreboding as there was only really one thing it could mean. The best possible news it would bear was that they had managed to remove their target from the Express without any incident, but he strongly suspected that that wouldn't be the case. There were some days when he genuinely wondered why he bothered with the subterfuge at all.

As he predicted, the tidings were not good.

"We're leaving." Was all he said, before turning and heading out of the room. He didn't check to see if she was following him, knowing she would be there. In true form Severus managed to exude enough of a prevailing aura that no-one got close enough to interrupt them on their way to the door.

"Take my arm." he instructed when they reached the apparition point.

"Where…?" she began to ask, but he silenced her with a single look. Focussing on the co-ordinates that had been supplied, he blocked out everything except their destination and getting them both there in one piece.

The scene that greeted them was not a complete surprise to the Headmaster, the wind was biting, whipping the snow around them and bringing the acrid smell of smoke up from the crash. Severus struck out across the field alone trying to establish who was in charge of the melee so that hopefully he could hopefully find out what the official story was. He had been aware of leaving Minerva behind him as she stood shocked and staring but suddenly she was speeding past him, her dress hiked up to allow her greater freedom of movement. She slowed to a stop though, allowing him to catch up with her as she seemed to take in the view before her.

There were several hotspots of activity but the vast majority of the officials now appeared to be discussing rather than doing, the height of the crisis having obviously passed.

"Professor," a young Auror said as he bounded towards them. "Headmaster."

"What happened?" Snape asked, ignoring the fact that his title had been tacked on almost as an afterthought.

"There was some form of attack… Sir."

"Really?" he asked scathingly, valiantly trying to suppress the desire to call the young man a dunderhead.

"Reports are confused, Sir." the young man added hesitantly.

"The students… Where are the students?" Minerva asked sounding strange enough that Severus glanced across at her for a moment. The level of anxiety radiating from her was uncharacteristic, and a disassociated part of him couldn't help but wonder if he was only now seeing the true extent of the impact that the stresses of the previous months were having on her.

"They've all been accounted for, Professor. They've been sent to St Mungos along with Professor Flitwick…"

"Where are the Professors Carrow?" Snape asked shortly.

"They were over there the last time I saw them." the other man indicated in the direction of the train's engine though there was no one currently in sight. Severus was trying to extrapolate where the two incompetent siblings might have wandered off to when there was a flurry of movement as Minerva turned on her heel and dashed back up the hill to where they had arrived. The tug on the proximity tether grew stronger until it snapped back as she disapparated. "Where…?" the Auror asked uncertainly.

"St Mungos, one would assume." Severus replied shortly, striding out for the engine in search of his errant staff.

When he spotted them, the two Carrows had their heads bowed in urgent conversation. As he approached it became plain that neither of them had managed to escape whatever had happened unscathed: their robes were torn and both had various streaks of mud and something that could have been blood streaked across their persons. Waiting until he was almost upon them, he swept down as though they were a pair of transgressing teenagers out after curfew.

"Well, would someone care to tell me exactly what happened here?" he asked in his most imperious tone. Neither of them seemed inclined to provide him with an explanation and so he waited, knowing that soon enough his stare would unnerve one of the siblings.

"It wasn't our fault." Amycus blurted out suddenly.

"Naturally." Severus growled. "But what I asked was, what happened?"

"I don't know… " Amycus continued.

"It didn't go the way we had planned." Alecto cut in defensively.

"That also was painfully obvious given that the train should have paused for no more than a moment as the girl was removed." They both started to talk at once in response to this, only resulting in a sharp increase in Severus' desire to knock their heads together in order to get them to shut up. From what he could make out however, there was mention of Flitwick and something that sounded unpleasantly like Weasley. "Merlin knows how you manage to fumble even the most elementary of tasks but you had better hope that you haven't entirely wasted your opportunity."

"They got the girl." Alecto pointed out. Severus was saved from replying to that when a jarring crack rent the air.

It didn't take him more than a moment to locate the general direction from which the noise had come from. Rounding the train wreckage, Severus was just in time to see Minerva stumble slightly where she stood at the top of the snowy crest. Given that everyone in the field was now staring at her, any doubt he had had that her arrival had been heralded by that unearthly noise was extinguished.

In the many years that Severus Snape had known Minerva McGonagall he had never heard her so much as pop when she apparated before and this concerned him almost as much as her obviously ashen pallor. His contemplation of her was disrupted as his Deputy's knees seemed to give way beneath her and for a moment he thought that Minerva was about to end up face down in the wet snow. Just before that happened however, she transformed into her animagus incarnation., shook her cat self all over and then, planting her nose to the ground, started snuffling all around.

Severus had seen the Gryffindor behave like this before, most recently after Potter and Diggory had disappeared from the centre of the maze and when Montague had disappeared entirely from the castle, and despite the outcomes of those two incidents she had proven in the past to be able to locate any number of 'missing' students over the years. The entirety of the gathered company appeared to watch as Minerva worked quickly down to the train, before padding along it's length until she suddenly went totally rigid. It was obvious that she had caught scent of something but it wasn't until she shot off like a lightening bolt, tearing across the field and towards the edge of a dense copse, that a wave of conversation suddenly swelled amongst the onlookers.

It was only out of the corner of his eye that he saw Poppy Pomfrey appear in the spot at the top of the hill that had seen so much toing and froing lately. She was making quick work of searching the scene from her vantage point, her own anxiety easy enough to read in the set of her shoulders and though he wasn't certain he actually wanted to deal with the formidable mediwitch, Severus set out towards her hoping to diffuse the situation before there was another scene to entertain the gathering masses.

"Madame Pomfrey?" he asked as he neared where she stood.

"Have you seen Minerva?" she asked, "I mean, has she arrived back here after she left to go to the hospital?"

"Professor McGonagall arrived back a few moments ago in what I could only describe as a less than sterling example of her apparating talent."

"Well given that she apparated through St Mungos anti-apparition barriers it's a wonder she made it at all." Poppy muttered and Severus closed his eyes for a moment in order to suppress his anger. She had a death wish. There were no two ways about it - Minerva McGonagall had a death wish.

"It would have been more impressive if she had apparated through the wards and into the hospital, given that that is what the wards are primarily designed to prevent." he commented idly. "May I ask what exactly it was that caused the Deputy Headmistress to loose all trace of common sense and surrender to her innate Gryffindor impetuousness?" he could see the mediwitch forcibly biting her tongue from making some form of sharp retort.

"It seems that Luna Lovegood is missing. They're double checking the admission records but Minerva was concerned that she might have been missed at the crash site."

"Quite." Severus said, primarily to give himself a moment to think how he was going to be able to handle this latest crisis.

At that moment, the Carrows deigned to join them, providing him with the perfect excuse to distract Poppy and allow him to retrieve Minerva without creating further problems.

"Madame Pomfrey - seeing as you're here now, could I please ask you to see to Professor Carrow and Carrow and insure that they haven't been injured and I will see if I can't find our errant colleague." He could see the protest forming on her lips but he wasn't about to be moved. She was going to point out that they needed to find Minerva, that having just achieved such a ridiculous feat of apparition, there was every chance that she had done herself an injury and would need some medical assistance. What she didn't understand was that he would be able to find her more quickly if he didn't have to give the impression of nonchalance. He silenced her with a look and turned and stormed off before she could verbalise her objections.

Despite the fact that Minerva had broken free of the tether when she had apparated alone to London, it transpired that there was enough resonance left that he had a good idea where it was he needed to be looking. Following his instincts, he soon found himself following a path through the recently trampled undergrowth of the copse. The trail was far too wide to have been made by a cat, but several grown men dragging a young girl however, could have easily caused the damage. They didn't seem to have gone very far but they wouldn't have needed to go far before they'd disapparated away with their bounty.

Upon reaching a small clearing, he quickly spotted Minerva's feline form, rooting around in concentric circles. Her return to human form was just as unexpected as her earlier transformation and but even still she remained on all fours, panting heavily and obviously struggling to catch her breath. When she looked up and caught sight of him, the pure fear in her eyes shook him more than anything.

"They… they've…they've taken… her." She finally managed, her arms shaking beneath her weight. "Why?" She almost seemed to plead, and for an instant that proved fatal to a spy like him. He didn't know what to tell her. She fell onto her forearms, spluttering now, and he was driven into action.

"Minerva!" he said firmly, crouching beside her. "Calm down." She may well have injured herself but currently she was anxious to the point of hyperventilating and that was certainly not helping. "Take a deep breath." he instructed, only to remember that there was every chance she was still heavily corseted. Reaching along her back, he felt the familiar charms he had adjusted earlier and couldn't help but wonder that they had held so well. Releasing them gradually, he continued to coach her into taking slow and steady breaths but had little success. Her lips were beginning to look distinctly cyanotic and Severus was contemplating more drastic action when nature intervened and Minerva lost consciousness and slumped fully to the ground.

Within moments her breathing changed, relaxing into a steady if still shallow rhythm. Kneeling next to her, Severus gently rolled her onto her back and took the opportunity to better gage her condition. Minerva's pulse fluttered beneath his fingertips as he placed them on her wrist in an action learnt in a childhood more than a lifetime ago. She was unnaturally pale and completely unresponsive but given the cross country apparating through anti-apparition barriers, breaking of his tethering charm and the anti-transfiguration potion, all while probably oxygen deprived it was hardly surprising. He suspected that the implication that Luna Lovegood had been captured was simply the last straw.

Sliding one arm beneath her shoulders and his other beneath her knees he lifted her limp form gently into the air. Walking back out of the clearing and through the trees Severus found his mind racing as his heart rate began to slow. He tried not to think about how fragile this bastion of Hogwarts seemed to feel in his arms, or of why he had automatically gone to lift her rather than cast the standard _levi corpus_. Instead he focussed on what had happened tonight and what they were going to have to do to in order to try and cover it up.

The primary objective may have been successful, Luna Lovegood had been abducted which would give them the needed leverage on her father but only if they could keep the fact under wraps. All that had been required of the Carrows was that they isolate Lovegood on the train and knock her out so that she could be transferred as easily as possible. Even at the outset however, the plans had never adequately taken into consideration the Hogwarts staff presence on the train and though removing Minerva from the equation had been part of his show of facilitation, he was perhaps better placed than anyone to know that Flitwick would be able to hold his own. He only hoped that when the hammer fell he would be able to deflect the entirety of the blame onto his incompetent colleagues.

Every day he played this game, trying to balance what he had to be seen to be doing versus what he could get away with and every day that saw him succeed only seemed to draw him more deeply into the mire. Everything he said and did had to be perfectly calculated and pitched to maintain his façade while still trying to protect the students and designed, when possible, to derail Lord Voldemort's plans.

The longer it went on however, the harder a game it was to play. His situation had never really been tenable in the long run, and certainly now, without anyone to work with, his life expectancy was growing ever shorter. It was more than that however, the wider situation in the wizarding world was reaching a crux. Things were going to change shortly for the better or far more likely for the worse and whichever way it went, Severus was certain that Potter would be at the heart of it.

He was doing his best to keep tabs on what the brat was up to but the information her was able to garner was patchy at best. It seemed his former students were being at once completely unpredictable and remarkably unoriginal in both thought in action. As far as he could tell, it was sheer luck that had kept the Golden Trio out of the hands of the Ministry up until now. This was an underground war being fought on more than one front though and until Undesirable No 1 deigned to change things, Severus was certain that the Order and he would continue on in their own ways for as long as they were able.

"Severus!" Poppy's distant voice broke through his thoughts. "Minerva!" Stepping out into the open, it only took him a moment to locate the mediwitch and she spotted him just as quickly. "Oh thank Merlin you found her Severus!" she gushed, rushing to join them.

"It would seem that I can't take my staff anywhere for fear of them embarrassing themselves – or completely forgetting the appropriate deference they are due their superiors." he added pointedly , all the while wandlessly levitating Minerva so that he could remove himself from supporting her.

"Sorry, Headmaster. I..."

"I have no interest in excuses." He retorted sharply. "I do however require a Deputy Headmistress fit to fulfil her obligations. Professor McGonagall was due to be in residence at the castle throughout the school holidays as I have better things to attend to. I assume I can trust you insure she's capable to see to all of her duties." It was not a question. Severus turned on his heel and walked away.

**A/N: **Well that's it. I do have another story in the ark on the way but I like to leave a little up to your imaginations… Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and I hope you've enjoyed.

xLx


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